You need something at the end of the day. Warming in late November, elixir to a stomach bulging with that extra plate of stuffing and mashed potatoes. That extra piece or three of pie. After the general buzz of family, after the "you drive me crazy" moments and "who would I be without you" moments, after the kids have worn themselves out and the aunts and uncles have driven away. Once the dishwasher's humming and the last crumb's been swept. You need something to take you down a frequency.

To that end, we propose a Vermont Maple Hot Toddy, created by Chloe and Wesley Genovart, owners of Solo Farm and Table in South Londonderry. They understand the kind of drink you want after a night of taking care of people. They live above their restaurant with their toddler, Rafael. Chloe will put him to bed, then go downstairs and attend to customers, the baby monitor by the bar burping the occasional gurgle and cry.

The secret to their drink? Sapling, a Vermont Maple liqueur brewed with bourbon or rye whiskey and Vermont Grade A maple syrup. They like the bourbon variety. You could make a hot toddy with bourbon or brandy, but Sapling adds the depth of maple flavor, mingling well with bright lemon and the spice of cinnamon and cloves. It tastes like the beginning of winter, like shorter days with more time for contemplation, time for settling in.

This is how you finish the day of gratitude.

Vermont Maple Hot Toddy

From Solo Farm and Table

Put one whole cinnamon stick in a 12-ounce glass. Add 2 ounces of Sapling liqueur, ¼ ounce of Vermont maple syrup, and one full ounce of lemon juice, freshly squeezed. Take a lemon wedge and stud it with cloves — 5 or 6 cloves in the flesh — and hang it on the outside of the glass. Fill to the top with hot water and stir.

*If you can't find Sapling, you can substitute with two ounces of bourbon. Any bourbon is good. Maker's Mark has a sweeter note to it. Increase the maple syrup to one full ounce. Keep everything else the same.